Sound insulation unit, sound insulation structure body, and partition facility

The sound-proofing unit with spaced resonators addresses sound insulation and installation challenges in booth-type facilities, offering high sound insulation, cost-effectiveness, and fire safety with a partially open structure.

JP2025165730APending Publication Date: 2025-11-05PIXIE DUST TECH INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024069997
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-04-23
Publication Date
2025-11-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing booth-type facilities face challenges in achieving high sound insulation without complete closure, which can hinder sound leakage and entry, while also allowing fluids and small objects to pass through, and are difficult to install and costly.

Method used

A sound-proofing unit comprising three resonators spaced apart at equal distances, functioning as Helmholtz resonators, to maximize sound insulation performance across a wide frequency band, allowing fluid and light passage, and integrated into a compartmentalized facility with a partially open structure for ventilation and fire safety.

Benefits of technology

The solution provides high sound insulation performance over a wide frequency range, facilitates installation, reduces installation costs, and ensures fire safety by allowing water from ceiling sprinklers to reach the compartment, while maintaining ventilation and light transmission.

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Abstract

To provide a sound insulation unit, a sound insulation structure body, and a partition facility that achieve high sound insulation performance without completely sealing off a space.SOLUTION: A sound insulation unit 10 of one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a first resonator 11; a second resonator 12 positioned at a distance from the first resonator in a predetermined direction; and a third resonator 13 positioned at a distance from the second resonator in a predetermined direction. The distance between the first resonator and the second resonator, and the distance between the second resonator and the third resonator are substantially equal. Consequently, the sound insulation unit maximizes transmission loss at frequency fTz corresponding to wavelength λTz dependent on a distance Tz, thereby exhibiting high sound insulation performance at the frequency fTz.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sound insulation unit, a sound insulation structure, and a compartment facility. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the spread of video conferencing, booth-type facilities have been installed in various places. Booth-type facilities can be broadly categorized into closed, semi-closed, and open types depending on the degree of openness. Open and semi-closed booths are easy to install, but because at least a portion of the ceiling or sides are open, sound from the interior space tends to leak out, and conversely, outside sound tends to enter the interior space, making them less quiet. In contrast, closed booths have closed ceilings and all sides, which prevents sound from leaking out. Patent Document 1 also discloses a technical concept for constructing a sound-absorbing ceiling using sound-absorbing cloth and sound-absorbing material. Applying the technology of Patent Document 1 to booth-type facilities may also improve quietness inside the booth.

[0003] On the other hand, closed booths have the problem of being difficult to install due to limitations on the installation environment and high costs. For example, because the ceiling of a closed booth is sealed, even if a sprinkler is installed on the ceiling of the building where the booth is installed, the water from the sprinkler cannot reach the booth. Therefore, separate fire prevention measures such as installing sprinklers inside the booth equipment are required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-332619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Not limited to the example of such booth-type facilities, there are cases where it is required to improve sound insulation between the inside and outside of a particular space, while at the same time allowing fluids such as water or air and other small objects to pass between the inside and outside of that space.

[0006] The object of the present disclosure is to achieve high sound insulation performance without completely closing off the space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A sound-proofing unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first resonator, a second resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the first resonator in a predetermined direction, and a third resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the second resonator in the predetermined direction, wherein the distance between the first resonator and the second resonator and the distance between the second resonator and the third resonator are approximately equal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sound-proofing unit of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the sound-proofing unit of this embodiment as seen from the X-direction. [Figure 3] 10 is a graph illustrating the frequency characteristics of transmission loss of the sound-proofing unit of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a sound-insulating structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a partition facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a view of the sound-proofing unit of variation 1 as viewed from the X-direction. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph illustrating the frequency characteristics of the sound absorption coefficient of the sound-insulating unit of Variation Example 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a view of the sound-proofing unit of the second modification seen from the X-direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a view of a sound-proofing unit according to another modified example, as viewed from the X-direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view of a sound-proofing unit according to another modified example, as viewed from the X-direction. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a view of a sound-proofing unit according to another modified example, as viewed from the X-direction. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a view of a sound-proofing unit according to another modified example, as viewed from the X-direction. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sound-proofing unit according to another modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a view of a sound-proofing unit according to another modified example, as viewed from the X-direction. [Figure 15] 10 is a graph illustrating the frequency characteristics of resonators of sound-proofing units according to other modified examples. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a top view of a compartment facility showing the arrangement of sound insulation units of Modification 3. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a top view of a compartment facility showing the arrangement of sound insulation units of Modification 3. [Figure 18] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the compartment facility showing the arrangement of sound insulation units of Modification 4. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the compartment facility showing the arrangement of sound-insulating units of the fifth modified example. FIG. [Figure 20] 13 is a cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the compartment facility showing the arrangement of sound-insulating units of Modified Example 6. FIG. [Figure 21] 13 is a cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the compartment facility showing the arrangement of the sound insulation units of the first example of the seventh modified example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings for explaining the embodiment, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] In the following description, when describing a common description of multiple similar elements, a common reference number such as "99" may be used. On the other hand, when describing these elements individually, a reference number with a subscript added, such as "99-1" or "99-2," may be used.

[0011] (1) Sound insulation unit configuration The configuration of the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view of the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment as seen from the X-direction. Fig. 3 is a graph illustrating the frequency characteristics of the transmission loss of the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the sound-insulating unit 10 includes a resonator 11, a resonator 12, and a resonator 13. In the following description, the X+ direction, X- direction, Y+ direction, Y- direction, Z+ direction, and Z- direction are defined based on the sound insulation unit 10. By orienting the sound insulation unit 10 so that the Z+ direction is along the sound propagation direction, the sound insulation unit 10 can effectively block that sound.

[0013] Resonators 11, 12, and 13 are all continuous bodies extending in the X-axis direction. In the example of FIG. 1, resonators 11, 12, and 13 are hollow cylinders extending in the X-axis direction, with the ends of their sides facing the -Z direction cut out to allow communication between the internal space and the external space. Resonators 11, 12, and 13 have C-shaped cross sections in any plane perpendicular to the X-axis, and function as Helmholtz resonators. Resonators 11, 12, and 13 transmit secondary waves that are out of phase with the incident wave. The primary sound waves that directly pass through the gaps in the resonators are attenuated by interference with the secondary waves that are generated and transmitted by resonance.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2 , resonator 12 is provided at a distance Tz from resonator 11 in the Z+ direction. Resonator 13 is provided at a distance Tz from resonator 12 in the Z+ direction. That is, resonators 11, 12, and 13 constituting sound-insulating unit 10 are arranged at a period of approximately equal distance Tz along the Z axis. In this embodiment, the distance between two resonators in the Z+ direction refers to the distance in the Z+ direction between the centers of gravity of the two resonators in the YZ cross section. Note that the sound-insulating unit 10 of this embodiment is not limited to three resonators, and may have four or more resonators arranged at a period of distance Tz along the Z axis. As a result, like a phononic crystal, the sound-insulating unit 10 maximizes its transmission loss at a frequency fTz corresponding to a wavelength λTz that depends on the distance Tz. That is, the sound-insulating unit 10 exhibits high sound-insulating performance at the frequency fTz. Here, the wavelength λTz is proportional to the distance Tz.

[0015] In the example shown in FIG. 2, gaps are provided between adjacent resonators in the Z+ direction. This allows fluids (e.g., air or water) to flow, light to pass through, and other objects to pass through the gaps between adjacent resonators. However, adjacent resonators in the Z+ direction may be connected. This configuration allows the resonators to be manufactured as a single unit, simplifying the manufacture of the sound-insulating unit 10. To enhance the light transmittance of the sound-insulating unit 10, resonators 11, 12, and 13 may be made of a light-transmitting material (e.g., a transparent or translucent resin material such as glass or acrylic). However, because the sound-insulating unit 10 exhibits sound-insulating performance due to its structure, there is a high degree of freedom in the selection of materials, and the sound-insulating unit 10 can be made of various materials, such as resin, metal, silicon, rubber, polymer, paper, cardboard, wood, or nonwoven fabric. Therefore, sound-insulating performance can be added to existing housings, or it can be constructed as an environmentally friendly component using thinned wood or recycled materials.

[0016] The resonator 11 is configured to resonate at a frequency f1. The resonant frequency f1 depends on the radial thickness l1 of the resonator 11 (i.e., the difference between the outer radius and the inner radius), the circumferential width w1 of the notch (slit) in the resonator 11, and the internal cross-sectional area S1 of the hollow cylinder. Specifically, the resonant frequency f1 is proportional to the square root of the value obtained by dividing the slit width w1 by the product of the thickness l1 and the internal cross-sectional area S1.

[0017] The resonator 12 is configured to resonate at a frequency f2. The resonant frequency f2 depends on the radial thickness l2 of the resonator 12, the circumferential width w2 of the notch in the resonator 12, and the internal cross-sectional area S2 of the hollow cylinder. Specifically, the resonant frequency f2 is proportional to the square root of the value obtained by dividing the slit width w2 by the product of the thickness l2 and the internal cross-sectional area S2.

[0018] The resonator 13 is configured to resonate at a frequency f3. The resonant frequency f3 depends on the radial thickness l3 of the resonator 13, the circumferential width w3 of the notch in the resonator 13, and the internal cross-sectional area S3 of the hollow cylinder. Specifically, the resonant frequency f3 is proportional to the square root of the value obtained by dividing the slit width w3 by the product of the thickness l3 and the internal cross-sectional area S3.

[0019] In this embodiment, the parameters of the resonators 11, 12, and 13 (i.e., slit width, thickness, and internal cross-sectional area) are designed so that the resonance frequencies f1, f2, and f3 are different from one another. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the resonators 11, 12, and 13 are arranged so that the frequency fTz that depends on the spacing Tz is different from any of the resonance frequencies f1, f2, and f3. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the transmission loss of the sound-insulating unit 10 is maximized at the resonance frequencies f1, f2, and f3 and at the frequency fTz that depends on the spacing Tz (i.e., has four peaks), so that the sound-insulating unit 10 can exhibit high sound-insulating performance over a wide frequency band.

[0020] 3, the interval Tz may be determined so that a frequency fTz that depends on the interval Tz is higher than any of the resonance frequencies f1, f2, and f3 (in other words, the resonators 11, 12, and 13 may be arranged). This allows the interval Tz to be shortened, thereby enabling the size of the sound insulation unit 10 in the Z-axis direction to be made compact.

[0021] (2) Sound insulation structure The configuration of the sound insulation structure of this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sound insulation structure of this embodiment.

[0022] 4, the sound-insulating structure 50 is constructed by arranging five sound-insulating units 10-1 to 10-5 in the Y-axis direction. The sound-insulating structure of this embodiment may include two to four sound-insulating units 10, or six or more sound-insulating units 10. The sound-insulating structure of this embodiment can also be constructed by arranging the sound-insulating units 10 in any direction perpendicular to the Z-axis, not just in the Y-axis direction.

[0023] Note that gaps are provided between adjacent sound-insulating units 10 in the Y+ direction. This allows fluid (e.g., air or water) to flow, light to pass through, and other objects to pass through the gaps between adjacent sound-insulating units 10. To increase the light transmittance of the sound-insulating structure 50, the resonators 11, 12, and 13 included in each sound-insulating unit 10 may be made of an optically transparent material.

[0024] The interval between adjacent sound-insulating units 10 in the Y+ direction can be determined arbitrarily. The smaller the interval, the more sound passing through the sound-insulating structure 50 in the Z+ direction can be attenuated, improving the sound-insulating performance of the sound-insulating structure 50. On the other hand, the larger the interval, the larger the opening, and the greater the flow rate of fluids and objects passing through the sound-insulating structure 50 in the Z+ direction. As a result, when the sound-insulating structure 50 forms the boundary of a space, there is an advantage in that the ventilation performance, heat exhaust performance, fire prevention performance, and light transmission performance (e.g., lighting performance) of the space are improved. Furthermore, by maintaining a constant interval, it is less likely that areas will have locally low transmission loss (i.e., areas where sound is likely to leak), and stable sound-insulating performance can be achieved.

[0025] (3) Configuration of compartment facilities The configuration of the sectioning equipment of this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the sectioning equipment of this embodiment.

[0026] 5, the compartmentalized facility 100 includes a sound-insulating structure 50 and a partition member 110. The compartmentalized facility 100 is, for example, a booth facility such as a semi-closed work booth.

[0027] The partition members 110 divide the space. In the example of Fig. 5, the partition members 110 include floor members 110F that form the vertically downward end of the partitioning equipment 100, and wall members 110W that form the four horizontal ends of the partitioning equipment 100. On the other hand, the vertically upward end of the partitioning equipment 100 does not include a partition member 110 and is configured in an open state. It is also possible to configure the vertically upward end of the partitioning equipment 100 so that a portion of the vertically upward end is blocked by the partition member 110.

[0028] The sound-insulating structure 50 is provided at the vertically upward end of the internal space enclosed by the partition member 110. As an example, each sound-insulating unit 10 constituting the sound-insulating structure 50 is attached to the vertically upward end of the wall member 110W. The sound-insulating structure 50 is provided so that the Z+ direction of each sound-insulating unit 10 constituting the sound-insulating structure 50 is aligned with the vertically upward direction. In other words, the orientation of the sound-insulating structure 50 is adjusted so that the Z+ direction of each sound-insulating unit 10 is aligned with the direction in which sound waves generated in the internal space (for example, sounds generated by the speech or actions of a user US1 in the sectioned equipment 100) propagate toward the opening of the sectioned equipment 100. This makes it difficult for sounds generated in the internal space to leak outside the sectioned equipment 100, making it easier for the user US1 to hold phone calls or video conferences about highly confidential topics and making it less likely for people outside the sectioned equipment 100 to be annoyed by sounds generated within the sectioned equipment 100. Furthermore, the soundproofing structure 50 can take in water from sprinklers installed on the ceiling of the building through its vertically upward end (top surface), eliminating the need to install fire extinguishing equipment such as sprinklers in the compartmentalization equipment 100 itself. Furthermore, by constructing the soundproofing structure 50 from a light-transmitting material, light from lighting installed on the ceiling of the building can be taken into the compartmentalization equipment 100.

[0029] In the example shown in FIG. 5 , all of the vertically upper ends of the compartmentalization equipment 100 are configured to be open, and the sound-insulating structure 50 is installed in the opening. However, this is not limited to this, and a portion of the vertically upper end of the compartmentalization equipment 100 may be opened, and the sound-insulating structure 50 may be installed in the opening. For example, the compartmentalization equipment 100 may have a ceiling member covering approximately half of the vertically upper end, and the sound-insulating structure 50 may be installed in the portion not covered by the ceiling member. With this configuration, the opening portion of the compartmentalization equipment 100 is reduced, thereby further reducing the sound propagating between the inside and outside of the compartmentalization equipment 100. Meanwhile, the portion where the sound-insulating structure 50 is installed is ventilated, allowing the interior of the compartmentalization equipment 100 to be ventilated. The compartmentalization equipment 100 may be equipped with fire extinguishing equipment such as a sprinkler. Furthermore, the compartmentalization equipment 100 may have both a ventilation opening where a ventilation fan is installed and an opening where the sound-insulating structure 50 is installed. With this configuration, the opening where the sound-insulating structure 50 is installed can be used as an air intake, which increases the exhaust efficiency from the ventilation opening and allows for more efficient ventilation inside the compartmentalized equipment 100. Furthermore, sufficient ventilation is possible even when the rotation speed of the ventilation fan is reduced, which reduces the noise generated by the ventilation fan. Furthermore, compared to when the sound-insulating structure 50 is not installed at the air intake, the amount of sound propagating between the inside and outside of the compartmentalized equipment 100 can be reduced.

[0030] The installation orientation and position of the sound-insulating units 10 and the sound-insulating structure 50 in the compartmented facility 100 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5 . For example, when the sound-insulating structure 50 is installed near the vertically upward end of the compartmented facility 100, the sound-insulating structure 50 may be oriented so that the Z+ direction of the sound-insulating units 10 is oblique to the vertically upward direction (i.e., neither perpendicular nor parallel). This prevents foreign objects from falling vertically from the ceiling of the building and entering the compartmented facility 100. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the sound-insulating structure 50 in the vertically upward direction when the sound-insulating units 10 are arranged at the same number and spacing. Furthermore, an opening may be provided in at least a portion of the wall member 110W behind the user US1, and the sound-insulating structure 50 may be installed in the opening. This reduces the sense of oppression felt by the user US1. In this case, high breathability can be maintained by oriented the sound-insulating structure 50 so that the Z+ direction of the sound-insulating units 10 is aligned with the direction behind the user. On the other hand, by orienting the sound-insulating structure 50 so that the + direction of the sound-insulating unit 10 is oblique to the direction behind the user, it becomes difficult to peek into the inside of the sectioned equipment 100 from outside the sectioned equipment 100, thereby ensuring privacy. Note that an opening may be provided on another surface of the wall member 110W (for example, the surface in front of the user or a side surface), and the sound-insulating structure 50 may be installed in that opening, not just on the surface behind the user.

[0031] The compartmentalized equipment 100 is not limited to a booth facility. For example, it may be an enclosure for a noise source such as a compressor or an outdoor unit. In either case, the partition member 110 is configured so that an end in any direction (not limited to the vertically upward direction) of the compartmentalized equipment 100 is completely or partially open. The sound-insulating structure 50 is provided at the end that is at least partially open, and the Z+ direction of each sound-insulating unit 10 is adjusted to align with the direction in which sound propagates from the internal space where the noise source is located to the external space through the opening. This prevents sound emitted from the noise source from leaking outside the space. By rotating the installation direction of each sound-insulating unit 10 180 degrees around the Y-axis or X-axis, sound entering the internal space from the external space through the opening can also be prevented.

[0032] (4) Summary As described above, the sound-insulating unit 10 of this embodiment includes the resonator 11, the resonator 12 provided at a position spaced apart by the distance Tz in the Z+ direction from the resonator 11, and the resonator 13 provided at a position spaced apart by the distance Tz in the Z+ direction from the resonator 12. As a result, the sound-insulating unit 10 maximizes transmission loss at the resonance frequencies of the resonators 11, 12, and 13 and at frequencies that depend on the distance Tz, and can therefore exhibit high sound-insulating performance near these frequencies.

[0033] The resonators 11, 12, and 13 may resonate at different frequencies, thereby enabling the sound-insulating unit 10 to exhibit high sound-insulating performance over a wide frequency band.

[0034] The resonators 11, 12, and 13 may all resonate at frequencies different from the frequency that depends on the spacing Tz, thereby enabling the sound-insulating unit 10 to exhibit high sound-insulating performance over a wide frequency band.

[0035] The frequency that depends on the spacing Tz may be designed to be higher than the resonant frequency of any of the resonators 11, 12, and 13. This allows the sound-insulating unit 10 to exhibit high sound-insulating performance over a wide frequency band while being compact in size in the Z-axis direction.

[0036] The sound-insulating unit 10 may include three or more resonators including resonators 11, 12, and 13, and all of the three or more resonators may be provided at intervals of Tz along the Z+ direction. This allows the sound-insulating unit 10 to exhibit high sound-insulating performance near the resonance frequency of each resonator and near a frequency that depends on the interval Tz.

[0037] At least one of the resonators 11, 12, and 13 may be a continuum extending in the X-axis direction perpendicular to the Z-axis, which can improve the manufacturability of the sound insulation unit 10 and facilitate installation.

[0038] The sound-insulating structure 50 of this embodiment may be constructed by arranging the sound-insulating units 10 side by side in a direction perpendicular to the Z axis. This makes it possible to provide a sound-insulating surface of any size that provides high sound insulation due to the sound-insulating units 10.

[0039] The compartmentalized equipment 100 of this embodiment may include a sound-insulating structure 50 and one or more partition members 110 that partition the space. The sound-insulating structure is installed so that the Z+ direction is along the direction in which sound waves generated in the internal space enclosed by the partition members 110 propagate toward the outside. This makes it possible to prevent sound generated in the internal space from leaking to the outside.

[0040] The partition member 110 may be configured so that the vertically upper end of the internal space is at least partially open, and the sound-insulating structure 50 may be provided at the vertically upper end of the internal space. This makes it possible to prevent sound generated in the internal space from leaking to the outside, while allowing light from lighting and water from sprinklers provided on the ceiling of the building in which the compartment equipment 100 is installed to enter.

[0041] The sound-insulating structure 50 may be light-transmitting, which can improve the lighting performance of the compartment facility 100.

[0042] (5) Variations A modification of this embodiment will now be described.

[0043] (5-1) Variation 1 Modification 1 will be described below. Modification 1 is an example in which at least one of the resonators constituting the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment is replaced with a resonance-type sound-absorbing material (an example of a "resonator") having a plurality of resonance frequencies.

[0044] (5-1-1) Sound insulation unit configuration The following describes the configuration of the sound-insulating unit of Variation Example 1. Fig. 6 is a view of the sound-insulating unit of Variation Example 1 as seen from the X-direction. Fig. 7 is a graph illustrating the frequency characteristics of the sound absorption coefficient of the sound-insulating unit of Variation Example 1.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, the sound-insulating unit 20 includes a resonator 21, a resonator 12, and a resonator 13. In the following description, the X+ direction, X- direction, Y+ direction, Y- direction, Z+ direction, and Z- direction are defined based on the sound insulation unit 20. By orienting the sound insulation unit 20 so that the Z+ direction is along the sound propagation direction, the sound insulation unit 20 can effectively block and absorb the sound (i.e., reduce reflected sound).

[0046] Similar to the resonators 12 and 13, the resonator 21 may be a continuous body extending in the X-axis direction. Alternatively, multiple resonators 21 can be arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. In this case, gaps may be provided between multiple resonators 21 adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. This allows fluids (e.g., air or water) to flow, light to pass through, or other objects to pass through the gaps between multiple resonators 21 adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. The distance between adjacent resonators 21 in the X-axis direction can be determined arbitrarily. The smaller the distance, the better the sound insulation and sound absorption performance of the sound insulation unit 20. On the other hand, the larger the distance, the larger the opening, and therefore, when the sound insulation unit 20 forms a boundary of a space, there is an advantage in that the ventilation performance, heat exhaust performance, fire prevention performance, and light transmission performance (e.g., lighting performance) of the space are improved.

[0047] The resonator 21 includes a plurality of waveguides extending along the Z-axis direction. Some or all of the plurality of waveguides may be bent. The resonator 21 resonates at a plurality of frequencies that depend on the lengths of the plurality of waveguides. Each waveguide may have a plurality of perforations formed on an end face on the Z-direction side of the resonator 21, which connect the inside of the waveguide with the outside of the resonator 21.

[0048] As a preferred example, the resonator 21 is configured to resonate at the resonant frequency f2 of the resonator 12 and the resonant frequency f3 of the resonator 13. That is, the multiple resonant frequencies of the resonator 21 include a first frequency that matches the resonant frequency of the resonator 12 and a second frequency that matches the resonant frequency of the resonator 13. This further improves the sound insulating and sound absorbing performance of the sound insulating unit 20. As shown in the solid line graph in FIG. 7, the sound insulating unit 20 exhibits a sound absorption coefficient close to 1 at each resonant frequency of the resonator 21, and therefore can reduce not only the sound that transmits through the sound insulating unit 20 but also the sound that is reflected by the sound insulating unit 20 over a wide frequency band. On the other hand, as shown in the dashed line graph in FIG. 7, simply arranging a resonator with a single resonant frequency limits the frequency range at which a high sound absorption coefficient can be achieved.

[0049] Of the multiple resonators constituting the sound-insulating unit 20, the resonator 21 is arranged closest to the Z-direction (i.e., closest to the noise source). In other words, in the sound-insulating unit 20, no other resonators are arranged closer to the resonator 21 in the Z-direction. As a result, the resonator 21 induces coupling resonance with each of the resonators 12 and 13. Furthermore, each resonator is designed so that the difference between the real part of the specific acoustic impedance ratio of the resonator 21 and "1" is smaller than the difference between the real part of the specific acoustic impedance ratio of each of the other resonators and "1". As a result, the coupling resonance induced between the resonator 21 and the resonator 12 and the coupling resonance induced between the resonator 21 and the resonator 13 amplifies the loss of acoustic energy in the resonator 21. As a result, the sound absorption performance of the sound-insulating unit 20 (i.e., the effect of reducing reflected sound) can be improved.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6 , the resonator 12 is provided at a position spaced apart from the resonator 21 by a distance Tz in the Z+ direction. The resonator 13 is provided at a position spaced apart from the resonator 12 by a distance Tz in the Z+ direction. That is, the resonators 21, 12, and 13 constituting the sound-insulating unit 20 are arranged at a periodic interval Tz along the Z axis. Note that the sound-insulating unit 20 of the first modification example is not limited to three resonators, and may have four or more resonators arranged at a periodic interval Tz along the Z axis. As a result, like a phononic crystal, the sound-insulating unit 20 maximizes its transmission loss at a frequency fTz corresponding to a wavelength λTz that depends on the distance Tz. That is, the sound-insulating unit 20 exhibits high sound-insulating performance at the frequency fTz. Here, the wavelength λTz is proportional to the distance Tz.

[0051] In the example of FIG. 6, gaps are provided between the resonators adjacent to each other in the Z+ direction. This allows fluid (e.g., air or water) to flow, light to pass through, or other objects to pass through the gaps between the adjacent resonators. However, the resonators adjacent to each other in the Z+ direction may be connected to each other. This configuration allows the resonators to be manufactured as a single unit, which facilitates the manufacture of the sound-insulating unit 20. In order to increase the light transmittance of the sound-insulating unit 20, the resonators 21, 12, and 13 may be made of an optically transparent material.

[0052] In Variation 1, similarly to the present embodiment, the parameters of resonators 12 and 13 (i.e., slit width, thickness, and internal cross-sectional area) are designed so that resonance frequency f2 and resonance frequency f3 are different from each other. Also, in Variation 1, resonators 21, 12, and 13 are installed so that frequency fTz dependent on spacing Tz is different from both resonance frequencies f2 and f3. As a result, the transmission loss of sound-insulating unit 20 is maximized at resonance frequencies f2 and f3 (as well as other resonance frequencies of resonator 21) and frequency fTz dependent on spacing Tz, and therefore sound-insulating unit 20 can exhibit high sound-insulating performance over a wide frequency band.

[0053] Furthermore, the interval Tz may be determined so that the frequency fTz that depends on the interval Tz is higher than both the resonance frequency f2 and the resonance frequency f3 (as well as other resonance frequencies of the resonator 21) (in other words, the resonators 21, 12, and 13 may be arranged). This allows the interval Tz to be shortened, thereby making it possible to make the dimension of the sound insulation unit 20 in the Z-axis direction compact.

[0054] The sound insulating structure of Modification 1 can be constructed by arranging a plurality of sound insulating units 20 (some of which may be the sound insulating units 10 of this embodiment) in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the compartmentalized equipment of Modification 1 can be constructed by combining the sound insulating structure of Modification 1 with a partition member 110. According to the compartmentalized equipment of Modification 1, the sound insulating effect of the sound insulating structure can suppress sound leaking from the internal space to the outside, and the sound absorbing effect of the sound insulating structure can suppress sound reverberation in the internal space, thereby further improving quietness.

[0055] (5-1-2) Summary As described above, in the sound-insulating unit 20 of the second modification, the resonators 12 and 13 resonate at different frequencies, and the resonator 21 resonates at the same frequency as the resonators 12 and 13. This not only significantly reduces the sound that passes through the sound-insulating unit 20 near the resonance frequencies of the resonators 12 and 13, but also significantly reduces the sound reflected by the sound-insulating unit 20 in a wide frequency band that includes these frequencies.

[0056] The sound-insulating unit 20 may be configured so that no resonator is provided on the Z-direction side of the resonator 21 (i.e., of the multiple resonators that the sound-insulating unit 20 has, the resonator 21 is closest to the noise source). This can further improve the sound absorption performance of the sound-insulating unit 20 (i.e., the effect of reducing reflected sound).

[0057] (5-2) Variation 2 Modification 2 will be described. Modification 2 is an example in which, of the multiple resonators that make up the sound insulation unit, the resonators included in a first subset are arranged side by side at a first interval along a predetermined direction, and the resonators included in a second subset are arranged side by side at a second interval along the predetermined direction.

[0058] (5-2-1) Sound insulation unit configuration A description will be given of the configuration of the sound insulating unit of Modification 2. Fig. 8 is a view of the sound insulating unit of Modification 2 as viewed from the X-direction.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 8, the sound-insulating unit 30 includes a resonator 11, a resonator 12, a resonator 13, a resonator 34, and a resonator 35. In the following description, the X+ direction, X- direction, Y+ direction, Y- direction, Z+ direction, and Z- direction are defined based on the sound insulation unit 30. By orienting the sound insulation unit 30 so that the Z+ direction is along the sound propagation direction, the sound insulation unit 30 can effectively block that sound.

[0060] Resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 are all continuous bodies extending in the X-axis direction. In the example of FIG. 8 , resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 are hollow cylinders extending in the X-axis direction, with the ends of their sides facing the -Z direction cut out to allow communication between the internal and external spaces. Resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 have C-shaped cross sections in any plane perpendicular to the X-axis, functioning as Helmholtz resonators. Resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 transmit secondary waves in opposite phase to the incident wave. The primary sound waves that directly pass through the gaps between the resonators are attenuated by interference with the secondary waves that are generated and transmitted by resonance.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8 , resonator 12 is provided at a position spaced apart by a distance Tz1 from resonator 11 in the Z+ direction. Resonator 13 is provided at a position spaced apart by a distance Tz1 from resonator 12 in the Z+ direction. That is, resonators 11, 12, and 13 constituting sound-insulating unit 30 are arranged at a periodic interval Tz1 along the Z axis. On the other hand, resonator 34 is provided at a position spaced apart by a distance Tz2 from resonator 11 in the Z+ direction. Here, the distance Tz2 is different from the distance Tz1. Resonator 35 is provided at a position spaced apart by a distance Tz2 from resonator 34 in the Z+ direction. That is, resonators 11, 34, and 35 constituting sound-insulating unit 30 are arranged at a periodic interval Tz2 along the Z axis.

[0062] The sound-insulating unit 30 of Modification 2 may have four or more resonators arranged along the Z axis at a period of interval Tz1 or interval Tz2, rather than three resonators. As a result, like a phononic crystal, the sound-insulating unit 30 maximizes transmission loss at a frequency fTz1 corresponding to a wavelength λTz1 that depends on the interval Tz1, and at a frequency fTz2 corresponding to a wavelength λTz2 that depends on the interval Tz2. In other words, the sound-insulating unit 30 exhibits high sound-insulating performance at the frequencies fTz1 and fTz2. Here, the wavelength λTz1 is proportional to the interval Tz1, and the wavelength λTz2 is proportional to the interval Tz2.

[0063] In the example of FIG. 8, gaps are provided between multiple resonators adjacent in the Z+ direction (for example, between resonator 12 and resonator 34). This allows fluid (for example, air or water) to flow, light to pass through, or other objects to pass through the gaps between the adjacent resonators. However, multiple resonators adjacent in the Z+ direction may be connected to each other. This configuration allows multiple resonators to be manufactured as a single unit, making it easier to manufacture the sound-insulating unit 10. In order to increase the light transmittance of the sound-insulating unit 30, the resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 may be made of an optically transparent material.

[0064] The resonator 34 is configured to resonate at a frequency f4. The resonant frequency f4 depends on the radial thickness of the resonator 34, the circumferential width of the notch in the resonator 34, and the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow cylinder. Specifically, the resonant frequency f4 is proportional to the square root of the value obtained by dividing the slit width by the product of the thickness and the internal cross-sectional area.

[0065] The resonator 35 is configured to resonate at a frequency f5. The resonant frequency f5 depends on the radial thickness of the resonator 35, the circumferential width of the notch in the resonator 35, and the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow cylinder. Specifically, the resonant frequency f5 is proportional to the square root of the value obtained by dividing the slit width by the product of the thickness and the internal cross-sectional area.

[0066] In Modification 2, the parameters of resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 (i.e., slit width, thickness, and internal cross-sectional area) are designed so that resonance frequencies f1, f2, f3, f4, and f5 are different from one another. Also, in Modification 2, resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 are installed so that frequency fTz1 dependent on spacing Tz1 and frequency fTz2 dependent on spacing Tz2 are different from resonance frequencies f1, f2, f3, f4, and f5. As a result, the transmission loss of sound-insulating unit 30 is maximized at resonance frequencies f1, f2, f3, f4, and f5, frequency fTz1 dependent on spacing Tz1, and frequency fTz2 dependent on spacing Tz2, respectively. Therefore, sound-insulating unit 30 can exhibit high sound-insulating performance over a wide frequency band.

[0067] Furthermore, the interval Tz1 or the interval Tz2 may be determined so that one or both of the frequency fTz1 that depends on the interval Tz1 and the frequency fTz2 that depends on the interval Tz2 are higher than any of the resonance frequencies f1, f2, and f3 (in other words, the resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35 may be arranged). This allows at least one of the interval Tz1 and the interval Tz2 to be shortened, thereby making it possible to make the dimension of the sound insulation unit 30 in the Z-axis direction compact.

[0068] The sound-insulating structure of Modification 2 can be configured by arranging a plurality of sound-insulating units 30 (some of which may be the sound-insulating units 10 of this embodiment or the sound-insulating units 20 of Modification 1) in the Y-axis direction. In addition, the compartmentalization equipment of Modification 2 can be configured by combining the sound-insulating structure of Modification 2 with a partition member 110.

[0069] (5-2-2) Summary The sound-insulating unit 30 of the second modification includes a resonator 11, a resonator 12 provided at a position spaced apart from the resonator 11 by a distance Tz1 in the Z+ direction, a resonator 13 provided at a position spaced apart from the resonator 12 by the distance Tz1 in the Z+ direction, a resonator 34 provided at a position spaced apart from the resonator 11 by a distance Tz2 different from the distance Tz1 in the Z+ direction, and a resonator 35 provided at a position spaced apart by the distance Tz2 in the Z+ direction from the resonator 34. As a result, the sound-insulating unit 10 maximizes transmission loss at the resonance frequencies of the resonators 11, 12, 13, 34, and 35, at frequencies that depend on the distance Tz1, and at frequencies that depend on the distance Tz2, and can therefore exhibit high sound-insulating performance near these frequencies.

[0070] (5-3) Variation 3 Next, a description will be given of Modification 3. Modification 3 is a modification relating to the arrangement of sound insulating units on the XY plane of the compartment facility.

[0071] (5-3-1) Placement of sound insulation units The following describes the arrangement of the sound insulation units 10 in Modification 3. Fig. 16 is a top view of the partition equipment showing the arrangement of the sound insulation units in Modification 3. Fig. 17 is a top view of the partition equipment showing the arrangement of the sound insulation units in Modification 3.

[0072] FIG. 16A is a top view of the bay installation 100 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 16A, a plurality of sound insulation units 10 are arranged in the X direction on the upper surface of the compartment facility 100. Each sound insulating unit 10 extends, for example, in the X direction. The intervals between the multiple sound insulation units 10 in the X direction are constant. The area where no sound-insulating unit is arranged is an open area.

[0073] FIG. 16B is a top view of the compartment facility 100 of the first example of the third modified example. The difference between FIG. 16B and FIG. 16A is as follows. The multiple sound-insulating units 10 are unevenly distributed in the X-direction on the XY plane with the center C as the reference. That is, in the first example of the third modified example, the area on the top surface of the compartment facility 100 in the +X direction with the center C as the reference is the opening area.

[0074] FIG. 16C is a top view of a second example of the compartment facility 100 of the third modified example. The difference between FIG. 16C and FIG. 16A is as follows. The plurality of sound-insulating units 10 are unevenly distributed at the ends in the X-direction and X+ direction in the XY plane. That is, in the second example of the third modified example, the peripheral area of ​​the center C of the compartment equipment 100 is the opening area.

[0075] FIG. 16D is a top view of a third example of the compartment facility 100 of the third modified example. The difference between FIG. 16D and FIG. 16A is as follows. A plurality of sound insulation units 10 are arranged in the peripheral area of ​​the center C in the XY plane. That is, in the third example of the third modified example, the ends of the compartment facility 100 in the X-direction and X+ direction are open areas.

[0076] FIG. 17A is a top view of a fourth example of the compartment facility 100 of the third modified example. The difference between FIG. 17A and FIG. 16A is as follows. The multiple sound-insulating units 10 are arranged in the XY plane in the region in the X-direction and at the end in the X+ direction, with the center C as the reference. That is, in the fourth example of the third modified example, the area of ​​the compartment equipment 100 in the +X direction with the center C as the reference is the opening area.

[0077] FIG. 17B is a top view of the partitioning facility 100 of the fifth example of the third modified example. The difference between FIG. 17B and FIG. 16A is as follows. The multiple sound-insulating units 10 are arranged in the XY plane in an area in the X-direction and an area in the X+ direction, with the center C as the reference. The multiple sound-insulating units 10 arranged in the X+ direction are arranged at a fixed distance from the end in the X+ direction. That is, in the fifth example of the third modified example, the area in the +X direction of the compartment equipment 100 with the center C as the reference and the end portion in the +X direction are the open areas.

[0078] FIG. 17C is a top view of a sixth example of the compartment facility 100 of the third modified example. The difference between FIG. 17C and FIG. 16A is as follows. The multiple sound-insulating units 10 are arranged in the XY plane in an area in the X-direction and an area in the X+ direction, with the center C as the reference. The multiple sound insulation units 10 arranged in the X-direction are arranged at a fixed distance from the ends in the X-direction. The multiple sound-insulating units 10 arranged in the X+ direction are arranged at a fixed distance from the end in the X+ direction. The intervals between the multiple sound-insulating units 10 arranged in the X+ direction are different from the intervals between the multiple sound-insulating units 10 arranged in the X- direction. In other words, in the sixth example of variant example 3, the opening areas of the compartment equipment 100 are the end in the X- direction, the end in the X+ direction, the area around the center C, and part of the area in the X+ direction based on the center C.

[0079] (5-3-2) Summary According to the third modification, the open area on the top surface of the compartmented equipment 100 is increased compared to Fig. 5. This makes it possible to improve sound insulation performance and ventilation, and also to increase the amount of light that enters the compartmented equipment 100 from outside.

[0080] In the third modification, the plurality of sound insulation units 10 may be arranged so as to be movable in the X direction in response to a user's operation. This allows the user to move the plurality of sound-insulating units 10 to set any desired area as an opening area.

[0081] (5-4) Variation 4 Next, a description will be given of Modification 4. Modification 4 is a modification relating to the arrangement of the sound insulating units in the ZX plane of the compartment facility.

[0082] (5-4-1) Placement of sound insulation units A description will be given of the arrangement of the sound insulation units 10 in Modification 4. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility in the ZX plane showing the arrangement of the sound insulation units in Modification 4.

[0083] FIG. 18A is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility 100 of FIG. 5 taken along the ZX plane. As shown in FIG. 18A, in the compartment facility 100, a plurality of sound insulation units 10 are arranged in the Z direction and the X direction. The intervals between the multiple sound insulating units 10 in the X and Z directions are constant. The area where no sound-insulating unit is arranged is an open area.

[0084] FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility 100 of the fourth modified example. The difference between FIG. 18B and FIG. 18A is as follows. The multiple sound insulation units 10 are not arranged in the Z direction. That is, in the fourth modification, the space in the Z direction of the compartment facility 100 is larger than that in FIG. 18A.

[0085] According to Modification 4, a plurality of sound insulation units 10 may be arranged in the Z direction, thereby improving the sound insulation effect.

[0086] (5-3-2) Summary According to the fourth modification, a single row of sound insulation units 10 may be arranged in the Z direction. This allows the internal space of the section equipment 100 to be expanded compared to that of FIG.

[0087] (5-5) Variation 5 A description will now be given of Modification 5. Modification 5 is an example in which the sound insulating units are arranged so as to form an angle with respect to the Z axis.

[0088] (5-5-1) Placement of sound insulation units A description will be given of the arrangement of the sound insulation units 10 in Modification 5. Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility in the ZX plane showing the arrangement of the sound insulation units in Modification 5.

[0089] FIG. 19A is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility 100 of FIG. 5 taken along the ZX plane. As shown in FIG. 19A, in the compartment facility 100, a plurality of sound insulation units 10 are arranged in the Z direction and the X direction. The intervals between the multiple sound insulating units 10 in the X and Z directions are constant. Each sound insulation unit 10 is arranged parallel to the Z axis. The area where no sound-insulating unit is arranged is an open area.

[0090] FIG. 19B is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility 100 of the first example of the fifth modified example. The difference between FIG. 19B and FIG. 19A is as follows. Each sound insulation unit 10 is arranged in a direction that forms an angle with respect to the Z axis. That is, in the first example of the fifth modified example, when the compartmentalization equipment 100 is viewed in the Z-direction from above, the area in which the interior of the compartmentalization equipment 10 can be seen is small.

[0091] FIG. 19C is a cross-sectional view of a second example of the compartment facility 100 of the fifth modified example. The difference between FIG. 19C and FIG. 19A is as follows. Each sound insulation unit 10 is arranged in a direction that forms an angle with respect to the Z axis. The multiple sound insulation units 10 are not arranged in the Z direction. In other words, in the second example of variant example 5, the space in the Z direction of the partitioning equipment 100 is larger than that in Figure 19A, and when viewed in the Z direction from the top of the partitioning equipment 100, the area in which the interior of the partitioning equipment 10 can be seen is small.

[0092] (5-4-2) Summary According to Modification 5, each sound insulation unit 10 may be arranged in a direction that forms an angle with respect to the Z axis. This makes it possible to reduce the area from which the interior of the compartment facility 10 can be seen.

[0093] In the fifth modification, the plurality of sound insulating units 10 may be arranged so that the angle can be changed in response to an operation by the user. This allows the user to arbitrarily change the angles of the plurality of sound insulation units 10 by performing an operation to change the angles of the plurality of sound insulation units 10.

[0094] (5-6) Variation 6 A description will be given of Modification 6. Modification 6 is a modification in which the compartment facility 100 is a work booth. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the compartment facility in the ZX plane, showing the arrangement of sound insulation units of the sixth modification.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 20, when the compartmented facility 100 is a work booth, a chair CH, a desk DE, and a plurality of sound-insulating units 10 are arranged in the interior space.

[0096] The plurality of sound-insulating units 10 are arranged in the Z direction and the X direction.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 20A, in a first example of Modification 6, a plurality of sound insulating units 10 may be arranged in a row in the Z direction above a chair CH (Z+ direction). This makes it less likely that a user sitting on the chair CH will be interfered with by the sound-insulating unit 10 when standing up from the chair CH.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 20B, in a second example of variant example 6, multiple sound-insulating units 10 may be arranged in a direction that forms an angle with respect to the Z axis, and multiple sound-insulating units 10 may be arranged in a row in the Z direction above the chair CH (Z+ direction). This makes it less likely that a user sitting on the chair CH will be interfered with by the sound-insulating unit 10 when standing up from the chair CH.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 20C, in a third example of the sixth modification, the area above the desk DE (in the +Z direction) may be an open area. As a result, external light from the compartment equipment 100 enters through the open area, and the amount of light around the desk DE can be increased for the user.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 20D, in a fourth example of the sixth modification, the area above the chair CH (in the +Z direction) may be an open area. This allows external light from the section equipment 100 to enter through the open area, thereby increasing the amount of light around the user.

[0101] (5-7) Variation 7 Next, a description will be given of Modification 7. Modification 7 is a modification in which the sectional facility 100 is a conference room. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the compartment facility showing the arrangement of sound insulation units of a first example of the seventh modified example.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 21, in the seventh modification, a desk DE is arranged in the internal space of the sectioning equipment 100. In the region of the upper part (end in the Z+ direction) of the compartment facility 100, an opening OP is formed on the side. The plurality of sound-insulating units 10 are arranged in the Z direction and the X direction so that the opening ratio of the openings OP is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0103] According to the seventh modification, even when the sound insulation unit 10 cannot be placed above the compartment facility 100, high sound insulation performance can be achieved.

[0104] (6) Other variations In the above description, an example was shown in which the resonators included in the sound-insulating unit have different resonant frequencies. However, the resonant frequencies of some or all of the resonators included in the sound-insulating unit may be the same. By having multiple resonators resonate at the same frequency, it is possible to further increase the transmission loss around that frequency. Similarly, the resonant frequencies of some or all of the resonators included in the sound-insulating unit may be the same as the frequency that depends on the spacing between the resonators described above.

[0105] In the above description, an example was shown in which the sound-insulating structure 50 was attached to an unobstructed opening in the compartment facility 100 separated by the partition member 110. However, the use and installation method of the sound-insulating structure 50 (or the sound-insulating unit 10, the sound-insulating unit 20, or the sound-insulating unit 30) are not limited to this. For example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 in an opening connecting adjacent rooms, such as a transom, door, or gap in a partition, it is possible to suppress sound transmission from one room to the other while maintaining ventilation between the adjacent rooms and creating a uniform air environment. This allows natural ventilation without installing a ventilation device, and allows the air environment of two rooms to be simultaneously adjusted with a single air conditioning unit, thereby reducing the facility's power consumption. Furthermore, for example, installing the sound-insulating structure 50 in the atrium of a multi-story building can suppress sound transmission from one floor to another while maintaining ventilation and a sense of openness. For example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 in the attic space above a wall separating adjacent rooms, it is possible to prevent sound from one room from traveling through the attic space to the other room, while allowing piping to pass through the gaps in the sound-insulating structure 50. For example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 on a wall, window, window frame, louver, or ventilation opening separating the inside and outside of a facility, it is possible to prevent external noise from traveling into the facility while improving the breathability of the facility. For example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 in a space through which air travels, such as a duct, it is possible to prevent noise from traveling through the space while maintaining breathability. For example, by using the sound-insulating structure 50 (or the sound-insulating unit 10, the sound-insulating unit 20, or the sound-insulating unit 30) to form louvers such as blinds or privacy fences, it is possible to block sunlight, views, and sound transmission while maintaining breathability. Furthermore, for example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 inside or around a device that takes in or exhausts air, such as an outdoor unit, a fan, a ventilation fan, or a turbine, it is possible to suppress the propagation of noise emitted from the device to the surroundings without interfering with the intake or exhaust of the device. Also, for example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 inside or around a device that tends to generate heat, such as a server device, it is possible to increase ventilation around the device and promote cooling, while suppressing the propagation of noise emitted from the device to the surroundings.The sound-insulating structure 50 may be installed around the intake / exhaust vents or fans of a PC, server device, storage battery, or generator to suppress the noise generated by the fan. For example, the sound-insulating structure 50 may be applied to soundproof walls installed on railway tracks or roads. The sound-insulating structure 50 is breathable and can release wind pressure acting on the sound-insulating wall, making it possible to install tall sound-insulating walls that would be difficult to withstand with conventional sound-insulating walls. The sound-insulating structure 50 may also be installed at tunnel entrances, exhaust vents, intake vents, shafts, or entrance hoods. The breathable sound-insulating structure 50 can suppress fluctuations in air pressure within a tunnel, thereby suppressing the generation of tunnel micro-pressure waves and preventing noise generated inside the tunnel from leaking to the outside. For example, installing the sound-insulating structure 50 around an air conditioner's outlet can suppress the noise emitted from the air conditioner's outlet without impairing the air conditioner's function. For example, by installing the sound-insulating structure 50 on vehicle components such as mufflers, air conditioning ducts, or vent ducts, or by constructing vehicle components such as inverter heat dissipation fins with the sound-insulating structure 50, the propagation of noise emitted by the vehicle can be suppressed. For example, by constructing earmuffs or earplugs with the sound-insulating structure 50, the noise entering the user's ears can be suppressed while reducing the discomfort caused by sweaty ears. For example, by constructing earmuffs or earplugs with the sound-insulating structure 50 designed to have a high sound-insulating rate in the high-frequency band where noise is prevalent and a low sound-insulating rate in the lower audio band, noise-suppressed, easy-to-hear sounds can be received by the user's ears. For example, by constructing the walls of a pet cage with the sound-insulating structure 50, the pet's cries can be prevented from leaking outside the cage while maintaining an open feel in the pet cage, thereby maintaining the pet's health. For example, by constructing the fences of a baby bed with the sound-insulating structure 50, the baby's cries can be prevented from propagating outside the bed while maintaining an open feel in the bed. Furthermore, for example, by installing soundproofing structure 50 in gaps in the walls of an arena facility, it is possible to maintain ventilation in the facility while preventing sounds generated within the facility (for example, sounds from a live performance or cheers) from leaking outside the facility and causing noise.For example, constructing a tabletop partition with the sound-insulating structure 50 can ventilate the space enclosed by the partition while suppressing sound leakage. For example, constructing a fence surrounding the grounds of a facility such as a nursery school with the sound-insulating structure 50 can suppress sound leakage inside the facility. Designing the sound-insulating structure 50 to have a high sound-insulating rate in the road noise frequency band and a low sound-insulating rate in other frequency bands can suppress road noise reaching facility users while allowing other environmental sounds to reach the facility. For example, constructing the exterior walls of an outdoor bathing facility, such as an open-air bath, with the sound-insulating structure 50 can suppress noise from entering from outside the exterior wall while improving ventilation. This improves the comfort of the bathing facility. For example, installing a sound-insulating structure 50 designed to insulate sounds of a specific frequency around a microphone or on a microphone arm can arbitrarily change the characteristics and sound quality of the sound picked up by the microphone. For example, by installing a sound-insulating structure 50 designed to insulate sounds of a specific frequency around a speaker or loudspeaker, the characteristics and quality of the sound emitted from the speaker or loudspeaker can be changed as desired. In either case, the sound-insulating structure 50 is installed at the boundary between two spatial regions, along the direction in which sound emitted by a sound source propagates from one spatial region to another. This allows for ventilation between the two spaces while attenuating sound propagating from one spatial region to the other.

[0106] In the above description, an example of a resonator having a shape in which the end of the side surface of a hollow cylinder in the direction of sound propagation is cut out to allow communication between the internal space and the external space has been shown. However, this embodiment and the modified examples are not limited to resonators of such shapes, and resonators of any shape can be used. 9, the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment or the modified example can be transformed into sound-insulating unit 200. Sound-insulating unit 200 includes resonators 201, 202, and 203 arranged side by side at intervals Tz1 along the Z+ direction. Resonators 201, 202, and 203 are all hollow quadrangular prisms with notches at the ends in the sound propagation direction to allow communication between the internal space and the external space.

[0107] In the above description, each resonator is arranged so that the slit faces the direction of sound propagation. However, the orientation of the slit can be changed. Furthermore, it is not necessary for all resonators to have a slit that allows communication between the internal space and the external space. 10, the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment or the modified example can be transformed into a sound-insulating unit 210. The sound-insulating unit 210 includes a resonator part 211, a resonator part 212, a resonator part 213, and a resonator part 214 that are arranged side by side at intervals Tz1 along the Z+ direction. The resonator part 211, the resonator part 212, the resonator part 213, and the resonator part 214 each have the shape of a hollow hexagonal prism. The resonator part 211 has a slit at its end in the sound propagation direction (Z+ direction) that allows communication between the internal space and the external space. Furthermore, the end (end face) of the resonator part 211 on the Z-direction side is connected to the end of the resonator part 212 on the Z+ direction side, and the end of the resonator part 211 on the Z-direction side and the end of the resonator part 212 on the Z+ direction side are provided with slits that allow communication between the internal space of the resonator part 211 and the internal space of the resonator part 212. The resonator part 212 does not have any other slits. The resonator part 211 and the resonator part 212 resonate together as a unit. The resonator part 214 has a slit at its end on the Z-direction side that allows communication between the internal space and the external space. Furthermore, the end (end face) on the Z-direction side of the resonator part 213 is connected to the end on the Z+ direction side of the resonator part 214, and the end on the Z-direction side of the resonator part 213 and the end on the Z+ direction side of the resonator part 214 are provided with slits that allow communication between the internal space of the resonator part 213 and the internal space of the resonator part 214. The resonator part 213 does not have any other slits. The resonator part 213 and the resonator part 214 resonate together as a unit.

[0108] In the above explanation, an example was shown in which the length of the slit in the communication direction is equal to the thickness of the outer shell of the resonator. However, it is also possible to design the length of the slit to be longer or shorter than the thickness of the outer shell of the resonator. Since the length of the slit in the communication direction corresponds to the neck length of the Helmholtz resonator, the resonance characteristics of the resonator can be adjusted by arbitrarily designing the length of the slit in the communication direction. 11, the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment or the modified example can be transformed into a sound-insulating unit 220. The sound-insulating unit 220 includes a resonator part 221, a resonator part 222, a resonator part 223, and a resonator part 224 that are arranged side by side at intervals Tz1 along the Z+ direction. The resonator part 221, the resonator part 222, the resonator part 223, and the resonator part 224 each have the shape of a hollow hexagonal prism. The resonator part 221 has a slit at its end in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis, which allows communication between the internal space and the external space. The resonator part 221 has a protrusion 221a extending toward the internal space from its side surface, and this protrusion 221a determines the length of the slit in the communication direction. Therefore, the length of the slit provided in the resonator part 221 in the communication direction is longer than the thickness of the outer shell of the resonator part 221. The resonator part 221 and the resonator part 222 are connected with the end (end face) on the Z-direction side of the resonator part 221 and the end on the Z+ direction side of the resonator part 222 removed, so that the internal spaces of the resonator part 221 and the resonator part 222 can communicate with each other. The resonator part 221 and the resonator part 222 resonate as a single unit. The resonator part 223 has a slit at its end in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis, which allows communication between the internal space and the external space. The resonator part 223 has a protrusion 223a extending toward the internal space from its side surface, and this protrusion 223a determines the length of the slit in the communication direction. Therefore, the length of the slit provided in the resonator part 223 in the communication direction is longer than the thickness of the outer shell of the resonator part 223. The resonator part 223 and the resonator part 224 are connected with the end (end face) of the resonator part 223 on the Z+ direction side and the end of the resonator part 224 on the Z- direction side removed, so that the internal space of the resonator part 223 and the internal space of the resonator part 224 can communicate with each other. The resonator part 223 and the resonator part 224 resonate as a single unit.

[0109] The above description has focused on an example in which each resonator has one opening. However, the resonators may have two or more openings. FIG. 14 shows an example in which each resonator has two openings. As shown in FIG. 14, the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment or the modified example can be modified into a sound-insulating unit 300. The sound-insulating unit 300 includes resonators 301, 302, and 303 arranged side by side at intervals Tz1 along the Z+ direction. The resonator 301 has a cavity 311 having openings 312 and 313 at both ends. The resonator 302 has a cavity 321 having openings 322 and 323 at both ends. The resonator 303 has a cavity 331 having openings 332 and 333 at both ends. While the two openings of the resonator 301 both open toward the Y+ direction, the multiple openings of a resonator may open in different directions, as in the case of the resonator 302. By using resonators with a shape having two openings, such as resonators 301, 302, and 303, the resonators can be easily manufactured by extrusion molding (for example, deformation during extrusion molding is less likely to occur), thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the sound-proofing unit.

[0110] Furthermore, openings 312 and 313 of resonator 301 are adjacent to each other, while openings 332 and 333 of resonator 303 are spaced apart. Due to these structural differences, the frequency characteristics of resonator 301 and resonator 303 differ. FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the frequency characteristics of resonator 301 and resonator 303. The solid line in FIG. 15 indicates the frequency characteristics of resonator 301, and the dashed line indicates the frequency characteristics of resonator 303. The frequency characteristics of resonator 301 are maximized at a resonance frequency f1 that depends on the shape of cavity 311 (i.e., have one peak). On the other hand, the frequency characteristics of resonator 303 are maximized at a resonance frequency f1 that depends on the shape of cavity 331, and also maximized at a frequency f2 that depends on the spacing between openings 332 and 333 (i.e., have two peaks). Therefore, by using resonator 303 having a plurality of spaced apart openings, it is possible to achieve high sound insulation performance over a wider frequency band. Also, by using a plurality of resonators with different frequency characteristics, including resonator 303, as in sound insulation unit 300, sound insulation unit 300 can achieve high sound insulation performance over a wider frequency band.

[0111] Although not shown in the above description, each of the resonators constituting the sound-proofing unit of this embodiment or the modified example may be supported by a support body. 12 and 13, the sound-insulating unit of this embodiment or the modified example can be transformed into a sound-insulating unit 230. The sound-insulating unit 230 includes resonators 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, and 238 that are arranged at intervals Tz1 along the Z+ direction, and a support body 240. The resonators 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, and 238 each have the shape of a hollow hexagonal prism. Resonators 231, 233, 235, and 237 have slits at their Y+-direction ends that allow communication between the internal space and the external space, while resonators 232, 234, 236, and 238 have slits at their Y-direction ends that allow communication between the internal space and the external space. The support 240 extends in the Z-axis direction and supports the resonators 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, and 238. As shown in Fig. 13 , the sound insulation unit 230 may include a plurality of supports 240 along the X-axis direction.

[0112] In the above description, an example was described in which each resonator is configured as a continuum extending in the X-axis direction. Resonators configured as a continuum are advantageous in that they are highly manufacturable and easy to install. However, it is also possible to arrange multiple resonators configured to have smaller dimensions in the X-axis direction compared to such resonators side by side in the X-axis direction. In this case, gaps may be provided between multiple resonators adjacent in the X-axis direction. This allows fluids (e.g., air or water) to flow, light to pass through, or other objects to pass through the gaps between multiple resonators adjacent in the X-axis direction. To improve the light transmittance of the sound-insulating unit 10, the sound-insulating unit 20, or the sound-insulating unit 30, each resonator may be made of an optically transparent material. Furthermore, the distance between adjacent resonators in the X-axis direction can be determined arbitrarily. The smaller the distance, the better the sound-insulating performance of the sound-insulating unit 10, the sound-insulating unit 20, or the sound-insulating unit 30. On the other hand, the larger the spacing, the larger the opening, so when the boundary of a space is formed using sound-insulating unit 10, sound-insulating unit 20 or sound-insulating unit 30, there is the advantage that the ventilation performance, heat exhaust performance, fire prevention performance and light transmission performance (e.g. lighting performance) of the space are improved.

[0113] The sound-insulating unit described in this embodiment or modification exhibits high transmission loss in a desired frequency band by designing the resonant frequencies of the resonators and the spacing between the resonators. Specifically, by distributing the resonant frequencies of multiple resonators across a wide frequency band, the sound-insulating unit can be designed to exhibit uniformly high sound-insulating performance from low to wide frequency bands. Furthermore, by concentrating the resonant frequencies of multiple resonators in a narrow frequency band or by reducing the difference between the resonant frequencies of individual resonators and the frequency dependent on the spacing between the resonators, the sound-insulating unit can be designed to exhibit particularly high sound-insulating performance in a specific frequency band. As an example, by designing the sound-insulating unit to increase the transmission loss in the 500 to 1000 Hz range, the volume of a person's voice transmitted through the sound-insulating unit can be effectively reduced. As another example, by designing the sound-insulating unit to increase the transmission loss in the 1000 to 8000 Hz range (preferably 1000 to 4000 Hz, more preferably 1000 to 2000 Hz range), the clarity of a person's voice transmitted through the sound-insulating unit can be effectively reduced. Specifically, a person outside a space separated by a sound-insulating unit (e.g., a work booth) will have difficulty hearing consonants spoken by a person inside the space. Therefore, while they can recognize that someone is speaking inside the space, they will be unable to recognize what is being said. As another example, when a sound-insulating unit is installed at the opening of a booth facility, the unit may be designed to have a low sound-insulating rate for the frequency of a specific sound emitted outside the booth (e.g., an alarm sound emitted from a facility speaker) and a high sound-insulating rate for other frequencies. This reduces the risk of the user missing sounds that should be delivered to the user while suppressing noise from outside the booth facility. Furthermore, by installing sound-insulating units with different sound-insulating characteristics in multiple rooms or booths, a variety of rooms and booths with different acoustic environments can be created.

[0114] In the second modification, an example has been shown in which the multiple resonators constituting the sound-insulating unit include two subsets. Each subset includes three or more resonators arranged side by side at a predetermined interval. However, the multiple resonators constituting the sound-insulating unit may include three or more subsets.

[0115] In Modification 2, resonator 11 belongs to multiple subsets, but it is not necessary to provide resonators belonging to multiple subsets. For example, the sound-insulating unit of Modification 2 may be configured with six resonators, including three resonators arranged at intervals Tz1 along the Z-axis direction and three resonators arranged at intervals Tz2 along the Z-axis direction. In other words, sound-insulating unit 10 or sound-insulating unit 20 may be configured to include a fourth resonator, a fifth resonator arranged at a predetermined interval different from interval Tz in the Z+ direction from the fourth resonator, and a sixth resonator arranged at the predetermined interval in the Z+ direction from the fifth resonator. This increases the dimension of the sound-insulating unit in the Z-axis direction, but the addition of resonators improves the sound-insulating performance.

[0116] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10: Sound insulation unit 11:Resonator 12:Resonator 13:Resonator 20: Sound insulation unit 21:Resonator 30: Sound insulation unit 34:Resonator 35:Resonator 50: Sound insulation structure 100: Compartment facilities 110: Partition member

Claims

1. a first resonator; a second resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the first resonator in a predetermined direction; a third resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the second resonator in the predetermined direction; Equipped with a distance between the first resonator and the second resonator and a distance between the second resonator and the third resonator are substantially equal; Soundproof unit.

2. the first resonator, the second resonator, and the third resonator resonate at frequencies different from each other. The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

3. the second resonator and the third resonator resonate at different frequencies from each other, the first resonator resonates at the same frequency as each of the second resonator and the third resonator; The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

4. The first resonator is the resonator closest to a noise source among the plurality of resonators included in the sound-insulating unit. The sound insulating unit according to claim 3.

5. the first resonator, the second resonator, and the third resonator resonate at the same frequency; The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

6. the sound-insulating unit has a maximum transmission loss at a specific frequency that depends on the interval between the first resonator and the second resonator; the first resonator, the second resonator, and the third resonator all resonate at a frequency different from the specific frequency; The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

7. the specific frequency is higher than any of the resonant frequency of the first resonator, the resonant frequency of the second resonator, and the resonant frequency of the third resonator; The sound insulating unit according to claim 6.

8. the sound-insulating unit includes three or more resonators including the first resonator, the second resonator, and the third resonator; the three or more resonators are all provided at predetermined intervals along the predetermined direction; The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

9. a fourth resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the first resonator in the predetermined direction; a fifth resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the fourth resonator in the predetermined direction; Furthermore, a distance between the first resonator and the fourth resonator is substantially equal to a distance between the fourth resonator and the fifth resonator and is different from a distance between the first resonator and the second resonator; The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

10. a fourth resonator; and a fifth resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the fourth resonator in the predetermined direction; a sixth resonator provided at a position spaced apart from the fifth resonator in the predetermined direction; Furthermore, a distance between the fourth resonator and the fifth resonator is substantially equal to a distance between the fifth resonator and the sixth resonator and is different from a distance between the first resonator and the second resonator; The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

11. At least one of the first resonator, the second resonator, and the third resonator is a continuum extending in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The sound insulation unit according to claim 1.

12. A sound-insulating structure comprising a plurality of sound-insulating units according to any one of claims 1 to 11 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

13. A gap is provided between adjacent sound-insulating units. The sound insulating structure according to claim 12.

14. One or more partition members that divide the space; The sound-insulating structure according to claim 13; Equipped with The sound-insulating structure is provided so that the predetermined direction is along a direction in which sound waves generated in the internal space enclosed by the partition member propagate toward the outside. Compartment facilities.

15. The partition member is configured so that an end portion in a vertically upward direction of the internal space is at least partially open, The sound-insulating structure is provided at a vertically upward end of the internal space. The compartment facility according to claim 14.

16. The sound-insulating structure has light transparency. The compartment facility according to claim 15.

17. The plurality of sound-proofing units are arranged so as to be unevenly distributed when the end portion is viewed from above. A compartment facility according to claim 14 or claim 15.

18. The plurality of sound-insulating units are arranged in one row or multiple rows along the vertical direction of the compartment equipment. A compartment facility according to claim 14 or claim 15.

19. The plurality of sound insulation units are arranged at an angle to a vertical axis of the compartment facility. A compartment facility according to claim 14 or claim 15.

20. The compartment facility is a work booth, The work booth is equipped with a chair and a desk, the number of sound-insulating units arranged at the end of the chair in the vertically upward direction is different from the number of sound-insulating units arranged at the end of the desk in the vertically upward direction; A compartment facility according to claim 14 or claim 15.

21. the number of sound-insulating units arranged at the end in the vertical direction above the chair is less than the number of sound-insulating units arranged at the end in the vertical direction above the desk; The compartment arrangement according to claim 20.

22. the plurality of sound-insulating units are arranged at ends in a vertically upward direction relative to the chair, The end portion in the vertical direction above the desk is an open area. The compartment arrangement according to claim 20.

23. The plurality of sound-proofing units are arranged at ends in a vertically upward direction relative to the desk, The end portion in the vertical direction relative to the chair is an open area. The compartment arrangement according to claim 20.

24. The partition facility is a conference room, An opening is formed in the side of the conference room, The sound-insulating structure is disposed in the opening. A compartment facility according to claim 14 or claim 15.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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    JP2007332619A